After 3 years of not getting on a plane, I finally flew to the place I’d been dreaming of the whole time: the turquoise waters of Turks and Caicos. This was my first real vacation since writing Love Nature Magic and I was a bit stunned by how it changed my perspective on things.
Like any beach vacation, there were people everywhere seeking recreation – boaters, jet-skiers, kite boarders, snorkelers, shoppers, eaters, drinkers and sunbathers slathering sunscreen onto their skin. We humans need recreation. We seek the ecstasy and joy of having fun. The thrill of risk. The pleasures of life.
But at some point, the fun of recreation can turn into wreckreation. I had already been pondering this concept when back home in Pennsylvania. I came across three people who had driven their three big trucks with three big ATV’s and were driving them through a local forest where it was illegal to do so. I had just read a report on how special and rare this forest was and there they were, oblivious to their wreckreation.
In Turks and Caicos, it hit me again while snorkeling. Home to one of the largest barrier reef systems in the world, I was excited to see it with my own eyes. In the past year I had watched many documentaries on the ocean for a secret project I was working on, and had also just finished reading The Nature of Nature by Enric Sala. So I knew what to look for: sharks. As apex predators, sharks are a sign of a healthy reef. We snorkeled pretty far out from shore where the wild things should be. And while there were a fair number of colorful fish and a few isolated healthy corals, the reef seemed a bit decimated and there were no sharks that I could see. (Still, it was an incredible experience).
I asked the boat captain what was causing the decline and he said the water was getting too warm from climate change, and sunscreen use had killed off a lot. He said it was better now that people were using “reef safe” sunscreens, but that didn’t make me feel much better about what I saw.
As we went back to the resort, I saw them spraying for mosquitos. I could feel the chemicals burning my face. Look, I hate mosquito bites as much as anyone, but now I saw how just a hotel trying to create a perfectly controlled and pleasant experience for its guests to relax was also a form of wreckreation. In our search for fun we often destroy the very wildness we all need to survive and get the most joy from.
I am not anti-fun! But where is the line? Like when does drinking for recreation become drinking for wreckreation? We all know people who have crossed the line. I passed it 23 years ago and began my sober path to re-creation. Re-creation is what we need to do to re-think and find new behaviors in order to live in balance with nature and not destroy ourselves and each other.
How can we re-create? How can we stop wrecking nature with our recreation? There are at least three steps:
Step one: Give nature some space to be completely wild. More than anything, this is the sense I got from the nature journeys I did – “Leave us alone!”, I hear them pleading. In my own yard I’ve roped off a small section where humans are banned. I’m not trying to “maintain” or “manage” it. I’m just letting it be wild. This is also the spirit of the rewilding movement and the reintroduction of apex predators like wolves into systems. Instead of focusing on creating parks and conservation districts where humans can interact with recreation, it’s time to start dedicating land just for nature. No humans allowed! We all need some alone time, after all.
Step two: Rethink our own behaviors. I am going to stop using sunscreen unless absolutely necessary. Instead, I will manage my sun exposure in other ways: going out in the morning or afternoon instead of mid-day. Using coverups when I go out in mid-day. And building up my exposure naturally and slowly. I love how in Japan, the women use colorful umbrellas when they go out in the mid-day sun. A recent report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) showed that Forever Chemicals have poisoned almost all the freshwater fish in America. And guess where that fresh water goes to? The ocean. (By the way, EWG does great testing on sunscreens if you do need to use them.) I have also switched to buying things in either glass or aluminum rather than plastic, both of which are more recyclable and less toxic to the environment. There is still way too much plastic in everything and I’m not perfect, but when I pay attention, I make better decisions. I also will seek out more eco-friendly resorts that make commitments to not using chemicals. That’s a tough one, I know. Especially since the mosquito is jokingly referred to as the national bird in Turks and Caicos (which reminds me, I saw remarkably few birds there). If anyone has a recommendation for eco-resorts or toxin free places, please let me know in the comments! We still need to hold corporations responsible for creating and disseminating these toxins. But we also need to start where we are and do whatever we can. If we stop buying that stuff, they’ll stop making it.
Step three: Learn. There are an incredible number of outstanding documentaries available for streaming on all aspects of nature – wildlife, science, exploration, adventure. It was actually while watching documentaries that I began to ask myself the question: Is exploring itself a process of wreckreation? This occurred to me after watching documentaries on Sylvia Earl, the ocean explorer, and David Attenborough, the jungle explorer. Their early explorations paved the way for many others to follow. And as they have both aged, they look back with grave sadness on the destruction from all of our human behaviors, including the people who have followed their paths. And yet, humans are by nature explorers. I love exploring!
I don’t think we can stop the urge to explore or find thrills and seek recreation. But we can choose not to wreckreate. And we can also find ways to re-create – protecting nature while finding our thrills where we can without harming each other or the earth.
*not to be confused with the video game. Although that kind of proves my point…
You have once again, got me thinking, Maria. TX sun is harsh (and getting more intense at times), but I am seeing more sun umbrellas here and I also cannot wait to look into the sunscreens you mention. I have a lot to learn. Thanks for your thoughtfulness-coming out of vacation no less!
I completely see myself twirling colorful umbrellas on construction sites to manage sun exposure, and would do so without hesitation. (My very own version of the hard hat.)